Moscow, SANA – Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that the next round of Astana talks will take place soon but the date has not been set yet.

Bogdanov made his remarks during an interview with the Russian Sputnik news agency on Saturday.

“There is a necessity to maintain and continue the application of this tool to promote and restore peace in Syria via political settlement…The Astana format is not substituting the Geneva process, but compliments and stimulates it,” Bogdanov added.

He underlined the positive impetus given by the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russian city of Sochi last January.